The Top 10 Cosmetic Surgeries for 2011 - A Prediction

As we get ready to see in the New Year, what will the trends for Cosmetic Surgery be in 2011?

Dr Scott E. Newman, a prominent New York surgeon, thinks he has got the answers, based on recent trends and statistics.

1. Breast Augmentation. This procedure has been the most popular for many years, and shows no signs of fading in popularity. No surprise here! The popularity of this procedure with celebrities should mean its top-place is assured for years to come.
   
2. Augmentation with Fat Transfer. This is increasing in popularity extremely quickly. Great advances are being made with this technique, although at present it is more popular with patients than with surgeons. The idea of Natural Breast Augmentation is immensely appealing to many, and this technique is also used with the Brazilian Butt Lift procedure. I am sure that in time new applications will be found for this technique.
   
3. Liposuction. Liposuction is likely to remain a popular procedure, as the obesity crisis in the West is showing no evidence of slowing down. In fact, in the UK, now 50% of men and women are clinically overweight or obese. With new ways of performing liposuction, such as Vaser Liposuction, constantly being developed, there is no way that liposuction will lose its popularity unless a completely new way of removing fat from the body is introduced.
   
4. Breast Lift Surgery. Women have always obsessed about sagging breasts after childbirth, so this procedure will surely always be popular. New advances with this surgery mean that it is now possible to perform with less scarring, and with longer lasting results.
5. Tummy Tuck. Also known as Abdominoplasty. Again, as with liposuction, the increasing food intake, and progressively more sedentary lifestyles mean that in all probability this will remain a popular procedure.
6. Buttock Lift. The butt lift procedure has really become very fashionable, and many celebrities have admitted to having it done. The Buttock Lift has really come out of nowhere, as only a few short years ago, most people had not even heard of it.
7. Breast Reconstruction. Reconstruction of the breasts following mastectomy will sadly continue to be a necessity for many female patients. New techniques are making the results better aesthetically, and faster to achieve.
8. Arm Lift Surgery. Arm Lift Surgery, or Brachioplasty is becoming more widely known, and can be expected to become more so. This is the cosmetic procedure, whereby excess, sagging skin is removed from the arms, to remove that effect sometimes known as "bingo wings".
9. Gynecomastia Surgery. The removal of male breasts has become a preoccupation with many men, in our increasingly appearance-conscious culture. Expect this to increase over the next 12 months.
10. Breast Reduction. Many women have always suffered from back pain from large breasts, but general increases in the weight-problems do not help. So it's probable that breast reduction surgery will continue to be very popular as a way to solve this problem.

A couple of extra predictions:

Botox will certainly continue to be the number 1 cosmetic procedure. It really has reached such a level of acceptability, and has so many different applications, that this is extremely unlikely to change.

Laser Hair Removal will keep its place as the second most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure. It is a solution for an age-old problem, and is still far superior to any of the alternatives.

A slow but steady increase in the number of people traveling abroad for cosmetic surgery can be expected, as the idea slowly gains acceptance with the general public.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

A Word of Warning About Arranging Surgery with a Referral Service

Cosmetic Surgery Referral Services are becoming increasingly popular, with many prospective patients using these kinds of services to do the "leg-work", from making sure the clinic is reputable and the surgeon is skilled and accredited, to helping to find the best prices for cosmetic surgery.

Doing this does definitely have its benefits, but a few words of caution...

You will still need to make sure that the referral service itself is reputable. There are several agencies that are seemingly unconcerned about the services that the clinics that they refer patients to are of the highest quality. This can understandably lead the patient to go into surgery with a false belief that their clinic is going to be of a high standard, with an accredited and experienced surgeon. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

The kind of referral service that I would advise all prospective patients to steer well clear of are those which ask for an upfront referral fee. Unfortunately, these are the kinds of agencies that are most heavily-promoted on the internet, as webmasters will get a good commission for placing adverts for these types of services on their websites.

The smart cosmetic surgery patient should avoid paying any upfront fees. It can, in effect, commit you to using the services that the referral company has recommended to you, as the patient is unlikely to want to lose such a large sum of money, with nothing to show for it.

I suspect that is what these kinds of offers are counting on!

If a patient would like to research several of these kinds of companies offerings, then they will have committed to hundreds of dollars-worth of expenditure before the actual cosmetic surgery fees. I'm sure that there are some reputable companies offering this kind of service, but I am equally sure that there are plenty of dodgy ones, as well.

For this reason, I would recommend anyone considering cosmetic surgery to research a little further, before committing to any referral fees.

Also, if you have paid a cosmetic surgery referral fee, but are having doubts about the level of service the company offers, it will be far better for you to back-out, and just lose the money than to risk your health. You may be able to pursue the company through the courts, if it appears that the agency was insufficiently transparent.

For more advice and information like this, visit Cheaper Cosmetic Surgery Abroad.com

The Advantages of Arranging Cosmetic Surgery Using a Referral Agency

Whether you are planning to get cosmetic surgery abroad or in your home country, there are a number of benefits to using a medical tourism referral agency. I would say that, at the very least, it is well worth your consideration, especially if any of the following issues are of concern to you:

• The Price of Cosmetic Surgery - you would like to be able to compare the costs between clinics.

• Your Personal Safety - You would like to avoid unnecessary risk of complications.

• Making Sure that you Get First Class Results From Your Surgery - it's a given that not all surgeons are equal. If you would like to make sure that yours has the necessary expertise, then you may like to consider a referral service, who has already checked out the best clinics.

If you are interested in getting the most out of your money, then one of the major advantages of using a cosmetic surgery referral service is that they can help you track down the best deals. It is a fact that plastic surgery prices do vary quite considerably, from clinic-to-clinic, state-to-state, and especially from country-to-country.

It is quite possible to compare prices for cosmetic surgery at different clinics, however, this is a somewhat time-consuming affair. Plus, you should remember that until you have had a proper consultation with a surgeon, the price quote will generally be just an estimate.

The second benefit of using a referral service is that you will not be needing to research the qualifications of the operating surgeon. Knowing that your cosmetic surgeon is reputable and skilled is a MUST. Although things can go wrong with even the best cosmetic surgeons, you must be aware that the chances are multiplied countless times, if your surgeon is not skilled and accredited by a proper official body. Naturally, you could check out the clinics you are considering, all by yourself, and that is how quite a few patients arrange surgery, but a company with several years of dealings with different clinics will be able to have a much more informed idea of which clinics are the best and most reputable.

The third reason that so many patient do find a substantial benefit in arranging their surgery with a referral agency is that when getting cosmetic surgery there is always a risk that the operation may not turn out as you hoped. By this, I am not talking about the life-threatening types of complications, but more that if the surgeon is not skilled enough, then there is a high chance that you will be less happy with your appearance than you were before surgery.

We have all seen the "plastic surgery gone wrong" photos that are all over the internet. Lumpy-looking boob-jobs, oddly-reshaped noses, and terrible scarring after liposuction.

If you are concerned that the results of your surgery should be an improvement on the natural you, then you do need to be very careful to make sure that your surgeon is skilled and experienced, not only in plastic surgery in a general sense, but also in the specific procedure that you are having. There are a great many different disciplines within cosmetic surgery, and just as you would not get a hip replacement with a heart specialist, so your cosmetic surgeon will need to have received training in each particular area.

Cosmetic Surgery Referral Services can help you to arrange surgery with confidence, and so unless you are able to promise yourself that you will properly and thoroughly research your options yourself, this is definitely the route I would suggest.

A visit t0 Cheaper Cosmetic Surgery Abroad.com can help you to weigh up the options available, and can even point you in the direction of a couple of decent referral agencies.

Another Tragic Plastic Surgery Accident

I haven't posted recently as I've been busy on other things, but one recent news story needed to be drawn attention to.

I'm referring to the tragic death of Wang Bei, the popular star of the extremely successful Chinese talent show Super Girl.

Wang Bei had an incredible talent, and was a natural beauty, which makes it all the more surprising that she should have felt the need to resort to plastic surgery, especially at the young age of 24. The procedure she was undergoing was chin reduction surgery, intended to make her jaw-line more narrow. Even the harshest critic would not have been able to tell her was necessary.

The operating surgeon cut through a blood vessel, and the blood-flow could not be stopped, filling her lungs.

The medical facility where this occurred is quite legal and above board, illustrating the need for greater supervision of such practices, and also the need for there to be more checks on the expertise of surgeons. All to often, surgeons are able to perform operations that they are simply not skilled or experienced enough to perform. This is a problem in all countries, and it is one that the industry itself need to address.

Otherwise, this is the result. Young, promising lives, such as Wang Bei's, being prematurely ended. I appeal for anyone opting for cosmetic surgery to do thorough research on both the clinic and the surgeon who will operate. Ask for photos of previous customers, ask for certificates of training and accreditation. Don't allow yourself to become a statistic.

Is it really more risky to get plastic surgery abroad?

The media often describes the dangers of plastic surgery abroad, illustrated with shocking cases from overseas cosmetic surgery clinics. It is positive that these incidents are reported to the public, but does it mean that there is a danger of prospective patients starting to assume that the more expensive clinics in the UK will automatically be safer, more reputable and more competent? If so, then the following report about the real standards in UK clinics ought to be a real eye-opener!

With great regularity, the media goes into overdrive about botched cosmetic surgery in foreign countries. While it is quite right that the shoddy workmanship of poor surgeons at mediocre clinics abroad should be highlighted, it is important to retain a sense of balance, and realise that the same things can, and do, go wrong in British clinics.

The problem is that the media that are reporting the dangers of overseas surgery are all too often dependent on advertising revenue from the domestic cosmetic clinics. God Bless the BBC, then, for publishing a report by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death, showing just how far from ideal British clinics often are. (The BBC is, as we know, one of the few major corporations in the media that are mostly independent from private business and advertising, which is why they have been able to publish.)

One fundamental weakness was identified, that in many ways is the cause of many of the other failings. Out of all the cosmetic surgeons practicing in Britain, only a third of them are members of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. It is clear that legislation and tougher regulation is needed.
For instance, it is recommended that a cosmetic clinic performs a set minimum number of a specific given operation per year. The reasoning behind this is that without practice, it is less likely that surgeon will be able to keep their skills up, which is really just common sense. An airplane pilot is not able to retain his license to fly without a certain number of flights per year, for the same reasons.

In the instance of plastic surgery, a minimum of twenty operations per year is recommended; however, the reality is that a great proportion of British clinics perform far less than this set level, yet still feeling confident to undertake surgeries that they rarely perform. Just one-tenth of the 361 sites reviewed managed to perform this number of ear pinning surgeries, while only 20% managed to reach this number of breast reductions. One quarter of the sample of clinics performed a sufficient number of facelift operations.

The results show that a large number of cosmetic surgery procedures in this country are being performed by surgeons of insufficient experience. In fact, what is being highlighted is more of a “have a go” mentality, rather than the experience and professionalism you would expect.

This was not where the criticisms ended. Just one third of the clinics, who have not been named, bothered to carry out any kind of psychological evaluation of the patients.


And while it a two-stage consent process is in place, to allow patients to properly consider their surgery options, less than a third of clinics manage to follow this recommendation.

More than half of all the clinics were insufficiently equipped, and one in five had no emergency readmission policy in place. Monitoring of patients before and after surgery was also found to be lacking.

It should not necessarily be inferred from this report that British Cosmetic Surgery Clinics are more or less dangerous than overseas ones. More, the prospective patient should use the results of this information to understand that in any country there may be superb clinics and also ones of a lower standard. The patient must make sure that the clinic they are considering does follow industry regulations and guidelines, and particularly that the surgeon who will be operating on them has sufficient experience. What the report does illustrate is that just because the prices are higher in the UK than those for cosmetic surgery abroad does not necessarily mean that the quality of surgery can be expected to be better.

Will I Benefit From Chin Augmentation Surgery?

Chin Augmentation Surgery is becoming an increasingly popular procedure, for both men and women. Find out more...

What does Chin Augmentation do for the patient?

Chin augmentation, also referred to as mentoplasty, is generally performed so as to create a more defined chin profile and distinct jaw line. This will often dramatically improve a weak chin or sometimes a rounded face and neck. Chin augmentation might also improve the contours of the face and also achieving a harmony to the face by making the chin more in proportion to the rest of the facial elements.

Chin Implant surgery is in many cases performed in conjunction with further procedures, such as face lift surgery or cheek implants. It is especially often used in combination with nose job surgery, as an adequately sized chin will be able to balance out the strength of the nose.

The procedure, which is generally safe to perform upon people as young as 17 or 18, can help to make a moderate improvement in the way you will look from the front; nevertheless as in elective nose surgery, it is primarily intended to enhance the profile.

Chin enhancement using implants often is the surgical procedure of choice for a great number of patients with normally functioning tooth and jaw development. Nevertheless, there is a specialized operation referred to as a sliding genioplasty.

How does the chin augmentation procedure work?

Chin augmentation using implants should be a relatively simple, straightforward medical procedure. The operation is carried out by making a small incision either within the mouth where the lower lip joins the teeth (the preferable site), or from the small crease line below the chin. A small pocket is fashioned precisely over the bone exactly the same scale of the implant so as to stop shifting or implant movement.

A biocompatible implant is then placed on top of the bone structure of the lower jaw, beneath the skin. This implant can be manufactured out of a new manufactured material such as gore-tex, or it could possibly be built from donated bone from the patient. Both synthetic and organic materials have their own particular positive factors and problems. For illustration, the implant put together from donated bone holds a significantly decreased risk of rejection, but a greater possibility of being infected.

When precisely inserted in the pocket, the incision will be closed with sutures which usually can be taken out in about five days, or if the implant was inserted from in the oral cavity, the stitches should be dissolvable ones that will not require removal.

How long will it take to recover from chin augmentation surgery?

Chin augmentation surgery normally requires an overnight hospital stay, but recently there are types of chin augmentation that might not necessitate any recovery time, such as enlargement using facial filler injections.

Generally, you can expect some swelling and bruising, and a degree of pain, which will be controlled using painkillers.

What are the risks?

There are undoubtedly risk factors entailed just like each surgery treatment. Infection can be one of these hazards, and although it can typically be managed with anti-biotics, if an infection will not clear up, the implant will probably need to be taken out and put in at a later date.

A different possible risk can be implant shifting. This will be able to arise should it be the pocket created for the implant is too large, and also in cases where the place where the implant was put is disturbed before the implant has settled into place sufficiently.

To successfully minimise risks, it is very important to get your plastic surgery with the highest quality clinic that your budget can allow for.

How much will it cost me for chin augmentation surgery?

Chin implant price ranges can be expected to fluctuate with each aesthetic surgeon, together with the region where you are living, and with the specific procedure you desire. You ought to be conscious that quotations for chin implant surgery will normally be somewhat general, and inclined to change, until you have received a proper consultation with an aesthetic surgeon. Alternatively, it will be possible for you to take advantage of decreased prices by going to foreign countries for surgery. Learn more about cheaper cosmetic surgery abroad...

This is in fact an alternative which has great appeal to a wide range of patients, and it is worth looking at so long as you are able to research the center where you are contemplating getting your cosmetic treatments.

Cosmetic Surgery - How Young is Too Young?

How young is too young for cosmetic surgery? This is a question that is asked with a great deal of regularity, probably because there is not simply one answer.

However, if you are asking this question, whether you are a teenager who wants cosmetic surgery or their parent, then the simple answer is probably that now is still too young!

(I'll assume that you are not one of those dreadful parents who are trying to get their kids to get cosmetic surgery...)

There are a number of factors that cause a person to wish to get cosmetic surgery, which can be outlined as follows:

Your features, especially your facial ones, appear to have a flaw that makes you stand out from the crowd, but not in a good way. This could be a lack of balance or symmetry, the nose could be too large compared to the rest of the features, or perhaps the bum seems too flat for the size of the hips and waist.

In other instances, cosmetic surgery is felt to be an option for turning back the clock. The face lift is the most obvious example of this, but there are many other examples as well, including eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), breast lift surgery, hair transplant surgery and wrinkle removal.

Or maybe some feature has been damaged by an accident, for instance a broken nose, chipped teeth, a torn earlobe, and so on.

The final example of a reason that people may choose to get cosmetic surgery is where the patient actually looks quite normal, and what they want is quite simply to look more stunning!

All of these reasons for getting cosmetic surgery are quite legitimate, and there is no reason to consider one more valid than another. However, when it comes to teenage cosmetic surgery, we do have to be a bit more careful, and analyze the motives of the patient a little more.

Where a teenage feels that they are looking old for their years, this is probably the most concerning, and we should be careful that there is not an underlying psychological reason behind their wish for surgery. In the unlikely instance that a teenager is looking ravaged beyond their years, it will be better to be looking at the causes of this, rather than dealing with the cosmetic aspect.

Where a teenage potential patient knows that they look normal, but would like simply to look more beautiful, this is okay, and quite common, but they should be encouraged to wait. It is very normal for people to find that they "grow into" their appearance, and as we get older, many of us learn to love our imperfections, or at least accept them.

Surgeries that generally should be avoided while still growing include nose reshaping surgery, as very frequently a nose that seemed too big for the face when younger can seem more in proportion later on. For obvious reasons, breast surgery should definitely be a no-no until the mid-twenties at least. Cheek implants and similar should be discouraged until all "puppy fat" has gone, so again that is likely to be a bad idea until well into one's twenties. When the youthful fat has disappeared, the features can suddenly gain definition that they didn't have before.

There are those cosmetic procedures where it has become more acceptable, and even encouraged, to have while young. Ear pinning surgery is one of those, as it is one of the safer surgical procedures. Similarly, cosmetic dental work is often a good idea to have while young.

Where cosmetic surgery reaches its closest proximity to reconstructive plastic surgery, it becomes far easier to accept it as an option for young people. There is no compelling reason why a child should have a badly crooked nose as a result of an injury, or torn ear cartilage due to an earring being pulled out, and this should not be fixed until adulthood. This becomes more a matter for the parents to decide, finances permitting.

But in instances like these, it is quite possible that the benefits the child may get from the increase in confidence may pay dividends for their whole life. The important thing is that each separate case is looked at on an individual basis, and the benefits are weighed up against the risks and disadvantages.

Why Transumbilical Breast Augmentation May Not be the Best Idea

Transumbilical Breast Augmentation, also known as its achronym TUBA, is one of those ideas that seems to good to be true.

Many women all over the world are drawn to the idea of breast augmentation, but are deterred by the idea of the scarring that inevitably takes place during the breast implant procedure.

Recent developments, however, allow cosmetic breast surgeons to insert the implants without creating any scarring to the breasts at all.

The technique that makes this possible is Transumbilical Breast Augmentation. Instead of the normal procedure, where incisions are made to the underside of the breast, at the natural crease, or around the areola, the only incision to be made is at the belly button. Due to the location, scarring is virtually invisible, and it is this that makes the idea so appealing to many women.

The TUBA technique is a very modern way of performing a breast augmentation procedure. Through the small incision at the navel, tunnel is created in the subcutanous fat, right the way up to the breast region. This is done using an endoscope, a tube with a light and a camera attached, so that the surgeon can watch the procedure on a monitor as it is performed.

It is this passageway through which the breast implants are inserted.

There are, however, several disadvantages to Transumbilical Breast Augmentation, that may cause you to rethink, and get a more conventional method of breast enhancement. One of these is that due to the method of inserting the breast implants, there is less choice of types of implant. A cohesive silicone gel implant is out of the question, as they are pre-filled, and would be to large for the apperture in the navel. This means that you are limited to getting saline implants, which often have a shorter lifespan, and can have a less realistic feel and appearance. Certainly, most cosmetic surgeons regard the cohesive silicone gel implant as the gold standard.

More worryingly, it seems that there is a far higher chance of the implants not being placed correctly, due to the way the the operation is performed remotely. It appears that a far higher proportion of implants placed transumbilically end up requiring revision work. This revision work all too frequently cannot be performed through the original incisions in the navel, and the end result is the same scarring to the breasts as would have occurred using normal incision techniques.

The same applies if the the implant is rejected by the body. The implants will have to be removed via incisions to the breasts.

There is an argument that these kinds of complications are more the result of less competent surgeons attempting Transumbilical Breast Augmentation, and this may be correct to an extent. Whenever you get any form of surgery, it is essential that the surgeon is experienced in that exact operation procedure. But it is also a fact that many reputable cosmetic surgeons who experimented with this technique have since stopped offering this option to their patients, believing the disadvantages to outweigh the benefits.

A golden rule, when considering cosmetic surgery is that the first priority is function, and then form. Scarring should come a distant third. So although the idea of breast augmentation without scarring may sound ideal, you should really think it through. Transumbilical Breast Augmentation may end up being more trouble than it is worth!

How to Find a Reputable Cosmetic Surgeon

You've decided that you want to get cosmetic surgery, you have worked out that you can afford it, either by getting a loan, or getting your surgery abroad, to save on the costs. But the most critical point is one that people do often overlook, or leave to the last minute. Namely, making sure that your cosmetic surgeon is reputable!

So, how do you do this?

One popular method is using a referral service. A good referral service will have already vetted the cosmetic clinics, making sure that everything is above board. This can be invaluable, particularly if you are planning to get surgery overseas.

Another important thing to do is make sure that you see some examples of the plastic surgeon's previous work. There are many, very talented salespeople in the field of cosmetic surgery, and not all of them work entirely ethically. Actually seeing the results of the surgery you are considering will let you know:

a) Whether the surgery will give you the results that you want.
b) Whether your expectations are realistic.
c) If the amount of scarring will be acceptable.
d) Last, but definitely not least, the standard of surgery that the clinic works to, along with the level of experience in that particular area.

You should not consider the operation unless it is apparent that the cosmetic surgeon is very experienced, qualified and accredited. And by this, I mean in the exact field of surgery.

Do not be afraid to ask questions. A good, reputable cosmetic surgeon will be only too happy to explain all of the risks. Don't let yourself be pressured by heavy-handed sales tactics. A reputable cosmetic surgery clinic should not be trying to aggressively sell, and you must allow yourself time to consider all the options.

However experienced and qualified the cosmetic surgeon is, there is always a possibility of complications, as there is with any surgical procedure. You should be sure to understand whether any revision to the surgery will be included in the price, should it become necessary.

Making sure that you have found a good surgeon, at a reputable clinic, will make it that much more probable that your cosmetic surgery experience is a positive one.

Male Cosmetic Surgery

It used to that cosmetic surgery was of interest only to women. How much this has changed! It turns out that nowadays, men are almost as likely to consider aesthetic surgery, with the top surgery procedures for men being male breast reduction (gynecomastia surgery), hair transplant surgery, rhinoplasty and chin augmentation.

So what has changed?

I guess we're all more conscious about our appearance, and nobody wants to look their age, but the main reason for this as advertising and the media. Men in commercials definitely seem to look more chiseled, recently, and the same applies increasingly to the leading men in the top Hollywood films.

Women, too, expect a higher standard of grooming in men, while pressure in the work place to appear young and dynamic must also play a part in this upsurge in interest in male cosmetic surgery.

How do we actually feel about this?

If we are honest with ourselves, most men probably miss the days when we didn't have to pay much attention to our appearance. Men were not supposed to try to hard aesthetically, but how this has changed. There are so many cosmetic products now available for men, now making the sorts of rejuvenating claims that we laughed at when applied to female cosmetic products.

Now we are supposed to be concerned if we look tired? Worrying about hair loss and middle-age spread was enough!

The other thing is that we are increasingly short of time, so going to the gym, eating properly, getting enough sleep, all seem a little far-fetched...

So it is no wonder that so many men are now resorting to the scalpel, in order that we look on the outside the way we feel, or would like to, on the inside.

Search Google for "cosmetic surgery for men", and there are millions of pages devoted to this subject. It's quite clear that the times have changed, and that male cosmetic surgery is here to stay.

Cosmetic Surgery Finance

Cosmetic Surgery Finance is big business, there's no two ways about it. A culture of instant gratification seems to have given rise to us taking out loans for anything and everything, and this includes finance for surgery or medical treatment.

Is Cosmetic Surgery Finance okay?

This really does depend, but generally I would say that if you can't afford your cosmetic surgery at the moment, maybe now is not the best time. Too many people get themselves caught-up in no end of bother with credit, and with something like cosmetic surgery, the risks are that much greater.

I know that as a patient we don't really want to think about it too much, but with surgery, there is always the risk of something going wrong. What if you find yourself unable to work for a period after your surgery? This is definitely something you ought to be thinking about. This would be bad enough at the best of times, but when you've got a brand-new loan that you need to start making the repayments on...?

To me, at least, that just sounds like unnecessary stress. Probably the only time that finance for surgery might sensibly be considered would be for weight-loss surgery.

If you are seriously overweight, and the surgery is for the sake of your health, then perhaps there is an argument that the surgery can't wait, and that your health is the most important thing.

Even so, do be careful about who lends you the money for your surgery. There are many unscrupulous finance companies out there, so be careful who you choose. The "zero credit rating" ones are frequently the worst. Do read all the small print. And you should always take out payment protection. That way, if the worst happens, and your cosmetic surgery has complications, at least you won't have to worry about making the payments for your cosmetic surgery loan!

Visit Cheaper Cosmetic Surgery Abroad.com for more information about cosmetic and plastic surgery.

Ethnic Nose Job Surgery

One of the big trends in Cosmetic Surgery at the moment is cosmetic surgery aimed towards various ethnicities.

In recognition of the fact that people from different ethnic backgrounds have different physical characteristics, a whole niche is springing up around this area. The main areas within cosmetic surgery where people are aiming to look different from their natural ethnic background are in skin whitening, eye surgery, and most popular of all, rhinoplasty. The "ethnic nose job" is becoming increasingly popular, particularly amongst black and Asian people.

I must confess that this idea of the ethnic nose job does make me feel a little uneasy. Why is it that so many African-Americans should feel that their nose is too wide to be attractive? Why should an Asian woman feel that her nose ought to be more Caucasian? Is there really any need for this kind of nose-reshaping surgery, when the patient actually looks completely normal?

There is a sense, for me, that the cosmetic surgery industry must take a portion of the blame for this. We have encouraged people to feel that anything that they don't like about their appearance can, and maybe even should, be changed.

But I do think that the media must shoulder more of the blame. The media decides what is, and isn't (currently) beautiful, and people do unfortunately follow. That an industry has sprung up to fill a need is just capitalism.

Cosmetic surgeons do, however, have a responsibility to advise patients about whether surgery is necessary or advisable. But somehow I suspect that it will be minority of surgeons who would advise that an ethnic nose job may be totally unnecessary.

I would say that people from a particular ethnic background ought to be able to judge their appearance on the basis of what is normal within their particular racial background, if indeed they must judge themselves at all. It is certainly much healthier to accept one's appearance as it is.

Still, it looks as though the ethnic nose job is here to stay, and if you are going to be altering your ethnic appearance, I guess it is better to do so with rhinoplasty than it is with something more extreme, such as the craze for leg-lengthening surgery that is catching on in South East Asia, an idea that, frankly, appalls me!

Cosmetic Surgery Price Guide - How To Find the Best Prices

The are numerous websites on the internet that purport to be a Cosmetic Surgery Price Guide. These types of sites are often a very good way for the potential cosmetic surgery patient to work out what types of prices are likely, and to help them pay the lowest prices possible.

However, a few words of warning. What these cosmetic surgery price guides tell you is unlikely to be the full story, for a number of reasons.

Even the most well-trained cosmetic surgeon will only be able to ascertain what surgery is involved after a proper consultation with the patient. Prior to discussions about what sort of results are desired from cosmetic surgery, and about any issues that may arise, and the price that even the best cosmetic surgery websites can deliver is necessarily a ball-park figure.

The issue of how to effectively give a price for any cosmetic procedure becomes even more clouded when discussing cosmetic surgery abroad. Some clinics offer packages, which may or may not include accommodation, some clinics even offer pick-ups from the airport. You really do need to take all of these factors into consideration when comparing different cosmetic surgery price guides.

When some clinics of cosmetic surgery offer an all-inclusive package at one price, and another is only charging for the surgery, how does one compare the prices? And between clinics in different countries, how do you put a value on accommodation costs in different countries with different going rates?

Another thing many people often find if organizing cosmetic surgery through a referral service is that that fees to the referrer are not always transparent, and are calculated in different ways.

For instance, one referral service might charge a flat fee to arrange cosmetic surgery, while with another referrer, there may not be a visible fee at all, as it is factored into the pricing of the cosmetic surgery clinic, and money would be passed to the referrer upon your booking.

Sometimes a cosmetic surgery clinic will include the costs for the anesthetic, if that is required, and surgery that requires an overnight stay may or may not be included in the price.

As you can see, it is not as easy to interpret a cosmetic surgery price guide as it would immediately appear. When arranging cosmetic surgery, you should always take care to make sure you understand exactly what you are paying for, as sometimes it is possible to get a nasty surprise!

Visit Cheap Cosmetic Surgery Abroad for Information, Articles & Price Comparisons.

Why Get Cosmetic Surgery Abroad?

"Why Get Cosmetic Surgery Abroad?"

This is my first blog post, ever, so forgive me if I ramble a little.

But this is a question I have been asked a few times, and it is an interesting one.

I guess when people ask this, what they really mean is "Is it Worth the Risk of Complications". And this is a complicated question to answer. Obviously, if the worst happened, then the answer will be an emphatic "NO", cheap cosmetic surgery abroad was not worth the risk.

However, the same will apply with getting any kind of surgery, in any country including one's own. It will only be "worth it" if it goes smoothly.

Now, the majority of Cosmetic Surgery operations both abroad and in your home country will go without a hitch. That's a fact, as otherwise cosmetic surgery would not be allowed to take place.

However, there will be occasions where something goes wrong, such as the tragic death of Miss Argentina, quite recently. Incidents such as this should teach us that cosmetic surgery is not something to go into lightly. Here we had a young woman who was clearly already very beautiful, getting surgery perhaps unnecessarily. And this is a shame and a tragedy.

However, this needs to be taken in the context of the many people who are getting cosmetic surgery abroad and at home, with no complications. Some of these people will have had extremely low-confidence and will have gained a whole new lease of life. Some of these people will have had reconstructive surgery following accidents, and will now be able to feel the way they did beforehand.

Around 200,000 people go to Singapore alone, for medical tourism reasons, the majority of them for elective medical treatment. Clearly the numbers of people traveling abroad for surgery are huge.

But somehow, I am surprised it is so few. Everything is price-sensitive, nowadays. We all research prices on the internet, check review sites, try to get the best deal. And virtually everything that we own was imported, from countries that are better and more efficient at manufacturing.

But for surgery and medical care, and I'm really talking about elective treatments, most of us seem to be content to pay over-the-odds, for standards that are not any better, and unfortunately are often worse.

I know a little about this, as I have a Polish wife who is genuinely appalled by the level of care in the UK, and I know more than a couple of people who have become very seriously ill in British hospitals. I know Indian people who will always go back to India for Medical and Dental treatment. This is not just to save money, but also to feel more confident in the level of service they will receive.

Now, obviously, in an emergency situation we are not in the position to make a choice, but when it comes to elective surgeries, like cosmetic surgery, I do ask myself why anyone in one of the more expensive countries would not choose to travel abroad.

I guess that many of us just find it hard to accept that it is possible to provide a better level of service at a lower price, because it reflects badly on our own medical system.

For more information about cheaper cosmetic surgery abroad, visit:

http://cheapercosmeticsurgeryabroad.com